Visenya could not remember much after falling off the dragon. Her vision had blurred and her senses had long given up on her before she made contact with the ground, and that if she ever did.
She was not sure, as she was not sure where she currently was.
The place around her was bright but blurry, making it impossible for her to truly make out any structures or items or even the location she was in.
The light was so bright, that she had to blink a few times in order for her eyes to adjust. When they did, she noticed someone walking her way.
For a moment she tensed but then relaxed upon seeing a familiar face.
"Ser Barristan," she exclaimed, a smile forming on her lips. She took notice that he looked different, younger even; like she remembered him when she was still living in the Red Keep. "Where are we?" she asked next, although something at the back of her mind seemed to already know.
"I don't exactly have a name for it," the knight confessed. "But I thought it would be better if I were the one you see first. To ensure you were not startled."
This made her arch a single white eyebrow.
"I don't startle, let alone that easily."
Suddenly, a third voice joined the conversation.
"Told you she would say that."
The voice was very familiar to the Dragoness but it had been so long since she last heard it, that she swore she had almost forgotten it.
She turned towards the source of it, only to see someone approaching her.
Their white hair had the same shade as hers but deep purple eyes were visible. A charming flirty smile spread upon their lips and Visenya felt her heart beating faster within her chest, to a point she swore her ribs would break from the force behind it.
"Rhaegar!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking.
"Hey, Auntie."
In the very next seconds, she had spread her arms and embraced her nephew into a tight but also very much needed hug. She felt his strong arms against her body, keeping her close and Visenya could not help but let a single tear escape her eye.
"I am sorry, my boy. I should have protected you better," she confessed, her eyes closed and her arms tightly locked around him; afraid she would lose him again if she dared to let him go.
Rhaegar placed his chin on top of her head.
"You have nothing to apologise for, Auntie," he reassured her. "You did everything you could. I should have listened to you from the start."
Eventually, she dared to pull back and stare into his eyes. Not a day had passed since that hellish battle where she lost him. Not a day had he aged since the last time she managed to hug him, unknown to her, for the last time.
"You were never good at listening when you put your head into it, let alone your heart," she commented, barely able to chuckle while her emotions were threatening to drown her.
He smiled.
"What can I say, I had to take it from someone," he replied, throwing his own innuendo.
In a way, he was right. Visenya was very stubborn and did not listen when she was determined to do something, an evident thing by now.
Yet, it was still amusing to hear it from his words.
She cupped his cheek with her hand, sensing the warmth coming from his skin. This all felt like a surreal dream, perhaps one of the most beautiful ones she ever had.
However, there was a part of her that could not just settle for the good dream. There was a part that kept asking the right questions and eventually putting the puzzle pieces together.
Her smile shrunk and she looked from her nephew to her loyal friend and father figure.
"You being here… us… does this mean…" she asked rather vaguely, not sure how she could even put it into words.
This was quite… odd, even for her. A big part of her could not truly make peace with it but her control over her mind helped her remain calm and see things from different perspectives.
"I did my duty and I am honoured that I carried my sword and protected my Queen," Ser Barristan said, offering a sad smile. "I spent years under the Stag and now I made up for my weakness in defending you all in the first place."
"It was never your weakness, old friend," Visenya interrupted him. "You did what was humanly possible, more if I may be bold enough to say," she continued, offering him a sad smile.
"She is safe, your niece. Lady Daenerys is unharmed and has survived the battle," he informed her.
Visenya let out a small sigh of relief and then swallowed the saliva gathering in her mouth.
"That's good… she does not deserve to die so early, she deserves to be happy."
"She should be or Mother will not be pleased about it," Rhaegar commented, somehow trying to joke and change the grim tone of the conversation.
"Rhaella," the Dragoness exclaimed, looking around her as if her dear sister would show up as well.
"She is there, with everyone else," her nephew explained and in the far distance, right behind him; she could see the faint silhouettes of so many individuals.
Have I really lost that many? she wondered and tried to see details but failed to do so.
Somehow, the idea that all of her loved ones were there was a comforting one. There were some she had truly missed like her sister, her uncle Duncan and her grandfather Aegon.
Of course, there was her cousin Steffon, whom she dreaded to meet after what happened with Robert. There were some faces she was not sure she was ready to face yet, afraid they would judge her for her previous actions.
As if sensing her worry, two hands rested on each of her shoulders. This forced her to focus her attention from the figures in the background to the two men in front of her.
"You shouldn't worry, Auntie. No one holds any grudges against you," he reassured her. "At least not here. I cannot say the same about my son, although I do think he would understand in the end."
This made her frown and fully focus on him.
"Your son?" she exclaimed, somehow trying to make sense of his words.
Did he mean baby Aegon, who was killed by the Mountain? Or was it Young Griff, whom Visenya suspected to be an imposter? Was he actually the true son of her nephew?
Yet, somehow in this chaos of sudden questions, something seemed to click. She thought back to her days in Winterfell, to all the faces she saw almost daily. There was a face in the crowd, one she had locked under a certain name.
The more she tried to focus on that face, the more things seemed to make sense.
When she finally understood, she paled. Her lips parted in surprise and for a moment, she was unable to truly express her thoughts. For the first time in ages, she found herself speechless during a discussion.
She blinked a few times and Rhaegar seemed to pity her.
He nodded his head. "Yes, him. I know, he doesn't truly look a lot like me but in my defence; he doesn't truly look a lot like Lyanna either."
At last, Visenya was able to focus and regain control of her mind.
"Jon Snow…" she exclaimed, almost whispering due to her disbelief. "All this time…" she could not help but chuckle silently. "All this time… who would have thought…"
"It came as a surprise to me too," Ser Barristan said, as if that would make her feel better. "I expected many things from this boy," he glanced momentarily at Rhaegar. "But never that."
She shook her head faintly a few times.
"Either way… he is a healthy young man, that has managed to unite the North and the Free Folk. You should be proud."
Rhaegar smiled.
"I am, just as I am proud of my sister and of course… my favourite aunt."
"I am your only aunt," she reminded him with an amused smile, like she had done all those years ago in the War tent.
Visenya could not help but keep that natural smile, feeling so free at that specific moment. There was no weight on her shoulders, no cold weather around her or angry faces. She was in a place that felt rather safe.
She was around people she cared about, who made her smile and just let her be herself.
She could not remember the last time she truly felt that, without having to worry about what the next day would bring.
The more time she spent there, the more she realized how much she had missed all of this.
"So, you all have been watching," she said after a moment of comforting silence.
She did not have to go into details, since Rhaegar made it clear before that everyone there knew more; no matter where this unique plane of existence was.
The thought that they knew everything made her feel uneasy but also relieved; for they had seen the full truth of it, the ugly and the good side of it.
That does not mean they will still not judge or comment about it, she reminded herself.
It was Ser Barristan who chose to speak next.
"They have and so will I. It is a relief, for now, I can keep an eye on both of you," he commented, talking about Visenya but also Daenerys; the last two dragons he swore to protect.
"I still cannot believe it… you as well…" Visenya confessed, looking at him.
Ser Barristan had been the father she never truly had. Her real father neglected her but Ser Barristan took her under his wing. He trained her in so many things, he advised and guided her.
He stood guard after she gave birth, even though he did not have to; just to ensure he could be there for her if she needed him.
He rode by her side in war, he protected her one way or another and not once did he stop believing in her… being proud of her.
"It was my time, Visenya," he said, his words holding so much wisdom even though his face had turned so much younger than the last time she saw him. "You know better than anyone that the Stranger comes for all of us, one way or another."
"I know but that does not make it any easier for me. You should have survived, stayed and guided Daenerys," she argued.
"I was too bold for her, I am afraid. I kept pushing her to reclaim what was her birthright, but alas I now see that this will not make her happy nor keep her safe," he confessed. "It pains me to admit but… Ser Jorah might do a better job as her advisor."
Ser Barristan had told Visenya of his time with Daenerys and he brought up Ser Jorah Mormont, the exiled knight. It was clear that the two knights did not see eye to eye and often argued, something that the Mother of Dragons herself confirmed to her aunt sometime later.
The Dragoness took a moment to gather her courage, for what she wished to speak of next was not that easy to put into words.
"Does it hurt… when the Stranger comes?" she finally asked, after remaining silent for a few moments.
Her red-flecked golden eyes went from her nephew to her teacher, waiting for one of them to answer her, filling her curiosity but also easing this twisted feeling that had appeared deep within her guts.
Rhaegar shook his head, a sign of a negative response.
"No," he answered her. "It doesn't hurt, not at all… it's like… feeling very tired and just closing your eyes. Just like you go to sleep every night."
"And everything just… goes away? The worry, the stress? The pain?" she asked and he nodded his head.
"Everything. You get such a sense of peace, even I could not truly describe with a song."
His last answer made her smile, unable to stop herself from chuckling despite his best joke attempt.
In the end, she nodded her head in understanding but also as a sign that she was getting ready; getting used to all of this, making peace with it.
She took yet another deep breath and took a few steps forward, aiming to walk between the two men and towards the figures in the distance; to reunite with all of them at last.
She would finally be able to see her sister again, listen to her stories and let her braid her hair like she always let her when they were younger.
She would see her uncle, who would tease her for following his footsteps and giving up the throne to get married. Of course, he would also tease her about her relationship with Tywin and would bring up all those times Visenya had negatively talked of marriage when she was a child.
Visenya would see her grandfather, who would most likely laugh with joy and ask her everything about her experience in riding a dragon; since this was his biggest dream.
Mayhap even her mother would be willing to see her, now that her daughter had grown up to be a powerful and proper lady; like the one she always wished her to be despite Visenya's interest in war and swords.
Steffon would at least be pleased to see her, although she was not sure what she would say to him when it came to Robert. Mayhap even her brother would be different after all this time, and the two of them could have a proper talk for a change.
She was ready to meet them all, to finally reunite with her family; with those she had lost all those years ago and who had patiently been waiting for her to join them.
To her surprise, Ser Barristan stopped her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, holding just the tiniest bit of resistance but it was enough to make her stop walking.
She looked at him with a confused expression.
"It is not the time for you to meet the Stranger yet," he told her.
Yet, Visenya did not seem to take it kindly upon his words.
"Why?" she exclaimed. "Why is it not my time yet? How long should I remain alive and let my loved ones die before me? How long until I am allowed to see those that I have missed?" her voice cracked, her eyes holding more pain than anger at this point.
"Just be patient, a little bit more, Auntie. Your job is not yet finished back there," Rhaegar said, hoping to help her; clearly not happy with how hurt his sweet aunt was.
She turned to face him.
"I am tired, Rhaegar," she confessed to him. "I am tired of doing all this work… of sacrificing so many things… don't I deserve my rest?" she asked, slowly showing a far more vulnerable side to him; a rare but not unknown thing.
A new person joined.
"If you plan to take your rest, mayhap you should make sure my brother is not in enemy land first," the voice said.
Visenya turned her head to the left and her lips parted in surprise, her eyes softening but also showing her pain at the familiar face that now stood by her side.
"Kevan," she called out his name, not believing that he had also joined the others.
Just now she talked of the loved ones she would have to see slowly being taken away by the Stranger. Ser Barristan was one heavy blow but the Lion was an even heavier one.
He offered her a small smile.
"It was my time, Visenya," he reassured her, seeing how hurt she felt at that moment. "Just like Ser Barristan, I died proudly with a sword in hand."
"But why you? You should have stayed back, with Tywin," she argued, finding it hard to accept the situation.
"My sons are here and so is my wife," he reminded her. "My legacy is over out there but it still exists here."
She glanced down momentarily, having not forgotten how all of Kevan's family had died; until he was the only one left.
"And we both know, you were always more needed by my brother than I ever was."
She found no words to say to him, not immediately after. She just stared at him, seeing him far younger than he was in his last years. He looked healthier, stronger and more at peace than he did before.
Yet, she could not believe she had lost him as well; especially because she had never seen him dying in a dream.
Kevan had always been a very good brother to her, even though they were not blood-related. He had been by her side, keeping her company even before she married Tywin. He looked after her during both her pregnancies, making sure that she ate well and had the proper rest.
She was always willing to listen to his opinion, to his advice and more than once did they ride and fight side by side; protecting each other in the heat of battle.
"And now he has lost you as well…" she pointed out, feeling her heart aching at the thought that Tywin had to bury yet another family member; leaving him alone with Genna.
"But he still has you," he reminded her. "You are all that he needs right now. What everyone needs, our family more than ever," he offered her a soft small smile. "I know you have been tired. Mark me, I had known a long time that you and my brother suffered under that heavy burden you both carried… but now it is not the time to quit. You both made it this long and I know, you both can make it some more."
She finally managed to press her lips together and take a moment to swallow, her mouth and throat feeling dry. She could feel a lump in her throat, a gathered sob that she held back and she let her eyes go from one man to the other.
Visenya took a deep breath.
"So this is it? Do we say goodbye once again?" she asked them, finding it hard to take separate ways with them after reuniting; after knowing that she would not see them again for quite some time.
"For now," Ser Barristan answered her. "We will meet again when the time is right."
Rhaegar offered one last tight hug to her, one she did not refuse nor rush to break up.
"Look after yourself, Auntie, and keep a tab on my son, make sure he doesn't do anything reckless like his father," he said as they finally pulled away. "And of course, the dragon with my name after it."
His words made her smile both in amusement but also to hide the pain, not ready to say goodbye to him again. Once was already hard enough. She didn't see the reason why she had to suffer through it a second time.
She finally looked at Kevan and they both exchanged a quick and gentle embrace.
"Thank you for everything, Kevan," she said, a single tear threatening to escape her eyes.
He pulled back first.
"I should thank you. You saved us all, my brother especially. Look after him. I know he is a tough character to handle sometimes but he also deserves his happiness. Happiness that only you can truly offer him."
She nodded her head.
"I promise I will."
She took two steps back, looking at each of their faces one last time.
She could not believe that two more of her loved ones had joined the rather long list of those she had lost to the Stranger.
Her heart ached but she kept that small smile, just for them. She kept it as their image became blurrier, as the world around her started to fade.
Before everything was gone, she closed her eyes and felt a single tear rolling down her cheek.